The Demon Realm, whose entire dimension is no larger than a single continent of Auterica.
Unlike the harmonious surface world, the Demon Realm was filled with extreme conditions, suffocated by negative energy.
Was it because the world itself had such an extreme environment?
The Demon Tribe, born in the Demon Realm, possessed combat-focused abilities compared to regular life forms.
Not only could they survive without food as long as they had mana, but they also instinctively mastered their suitable combat style without any training.
It’s no exaggeration to say they were a race born to fight.
However, as a counterpoint, they were fortunately bound by various restrictions imposed by the other tribes of the surface world.
It was difficult for them to escape the confines of the Demon Realm, and even if they did manage to go outside, they would have to endure significant power loss.
‘If that were not the case, this world would have been embroiled in a never-ending war with demons. The angelic tribe of the heavenly realm would be the same.’
But conversely, this meant that the power of the Demon Tribe reached its peak only within the Demon Realm.
And among them, how much more so for the Demon Duke at the very apex?
Khuh-uh— Khuh-uh—
[…Damn it, these bastard seeds…!]
This was the reason why Duke of Beasts Sipar could withstand Helra and Davidson until now.
His right head, covered in scales, was gone, and deep wounds had exposed bones all over his body, but the demon’s tenacious life force minimized his combat loss in any way possible.
“…Persisting. They say physicality is the best in the Demon Realm. Seems that’s not an exaggeration?”
“Cough!”
But that was about to come to an end.
Indeed, while that physical ability was terrifyingly superb, his opponents were even greater monsters.
Helra, who flapped her wings slowly as if ruling the world, looked down with a proud gaze at the two-headed dog below.
The severed neck was wriggling and regenerating in real-time.
However, that speed was painfully slow compared to its reputation.
At this rate, it would surely take several days to fully recover.
‘It’s surprising that it was able to chew through “Flesh God” and still be in that condition.’
It’s possible because the essence containing the demon’s power was still intact.
Recovering from such injuries in just a few days was impressive, but the concept of that part being hijacked by Davidson meant there would be some significant loss during the recovery process.
‘I can’t just leave it like that. That essence isn’t yours anymore. It’s all mine.’
With that audacious thought, Helra tightened the whip in her hand, pulling it taut several times side to side before licking her lips.
At the same time, Davidson, with three mouths dripping saliva, wiggled his tongues.
Of course, that sight was nothing more than a provocation to the one facing them.
Damn, damn! Where did those bastards come from? LeRayen clearly didn’t leave anything behind on the expedition! Are they really going to catch me now?
Sipar grounded his teeth fiercely.
They were eyeing him as if he were the prey just before capture.
For someone who had ruled the highest rank in the Demon Realm for so long, it was an unbearable humiliation.
The problem was that this was now a harsh reality that was very close at hand.
No! I can’t die like this! How much have I struggled until now! And that opponent is not a Dragon but some unknown hybrid?!
He had not fought so desperately to come this far.
He had challenged the title of Demon King several times, not for this kind of ending.
…Kuh, damn!
In the end, he steeled his heart.
Even if he suffered critical damage that would make recovery difficult, he decided to at least escape this place.
Realizing that wanting to fix this situation without sacrificing that much was an excessive desire.
If I can just escape from here…
By now, news of the attack on his stronghold would have spread throughout the Abnormal.
Due to the difference in power and the advantageous location, gathering all his high-ranking demons who had been focusing on the battlefield with the Dark Nest should be enough to deal with those guys.
How dare they step into the heart of my territory without fear! I’ll make them pay for their arrogance!
No faction engaged in land grabbing without reason.
In the Demon Realm, status and combat power are directly proportional.
But for the leader to participate directly in an infiltration operation!
Considering the dangers of failure, it was tantamount to gambling!
Ba-boom—!
[I’ll melt them all!]
[Awooo——!]
With a wolf-like roar, red flames erupted from Sipar’s entire body.
A powerful shockwave radiated from him, and the scorching heat seemed to engulf the world in an instant.
“…Hah, does he still have this much power left?”
Helra frowned and charged again.
She realized that Sipar had completely given up on defense and was concentrating all his strength into that one move.
With all his means, including the mana barrier that had been diminishing damage, now gone, the once-mighty body was rapidly deteriorating as it was left unprotected.
However, the opponent was the Duke of Beasts, who could surpass even dragons in terms of physical ability.
While enduring the attack with sheer stamina, the hellfire that quickly increased in scale began to threaten the “World of Soul Ascendance” itself.
Flicker— Fwoosh!
Naturally, neither Helra nor Davidson could escape from the flames that engulfed the entire space.
The bright red flames licked at Helra’s surroundings, quickly devouring the mana shield around her.
So it’s a do-or-die situation now. An all-consuming flame… If this lasts long, even for me, it’ll be a bit of a burden.
Is it truly as expected of a Duke?
She clicked her tongue, tightly gripping the whip and infusing it with her mana.
Not doing so would mean even the ultimate magical equipment in the Demon Realm wouldn’t withstand for long.
Sssss— Sizzle—
Conversely, the physically strong monster Davidson had no choice but to endure the heat with his bare body.
Burned and reborn endlessly in roaring flames.
And while doing so, he kept moving his mouths, gulping down the hellfire that touched his lips, rushing at Sipar again.
[Gah! This damned creature! How can he still—]
[Cough!]
With this relentless offensive, Davidson finally tore the leash from Sipar’s deformed head.
He had tried to resist as much as possible while spewing flames, but he couldn’t help but find a gap due to the lack of heads.
Even as he burned in the flames, Davidson’s display was reminiscent of the gatekeeper of hell.
But in that moment…
A twisted face of the head being torn from him suddenly smiled wickedly.
As if anticipating that he would be the one to suffer.
[Hehehe—! Fine, then I’ll send you to hell first!]
Immediately after.
Swish—
A red glint shone in the serpent’s eye attached to Sipar’s tail.
And in an instant, the enormous heat melting the world was sucked into the serpent.
It was as if all the changes happened in an instant, like time had been sliced in half.
“Cough?”
Davidson’s body flinched as he chewed the flesh that had entered his mouth.
A sudden shift in events without any warning.
He turned his three pairs of eyes to the place where he felt the sun-like heat.
[Krahaha! Die!]
The serpent’s tail, slowly turning to ash in the dense concentration of energy, began to emit the final light.
Towards him, who was happily enjoying his meal with three mouths.
*
Kabooooom——!
A massive shockwave exploded, and a beam of light brightened the world, shooting up to the sky.
“Cough! It’s hot…!”
“Get back! Get back!”
“Focus on defense! We’re getting swept away!”
Simultaneously, hellish heat spread throughout the battlefield, making it hard for even formidable demons to endure.
The “World of Soul Ascendance” was collapsing on one side of the battlefield, and the energy trapped inside began to surge everywhere.
“Ugh, what’s happening…?”
“What happened? Where’s the Duke?”
“What about Helra?! Has the fight ended?!”
The demons fighting outside narrowed their eyes to look that way regardless of camp.
Covered by the dense mana storm, they could not see what was happening inside, but they could not endure not knowing.
Even as they persisted in this fierce battle, they were well aware of something.
No matter what they did here, the results of this battle would ultimately be determined by the fight occurring over there.
Gulp.
As the mana storm that suddenly arose began to abate, the revealed scene was…
Crack—
[Cough! How can this be…?!]
One gigantic severed head, bleeding while choked by a long whip, and.
Wriggle, wriggle—
Another monster enjoying a meal with skillful movement of its three heads over a crushed head.
“…Surprising.”
Helra, with a whip in one hand, gently wiped her forehead with the other.
The heat emitted by Sipar had been so intense that even without a direct hit, moisture gathered on her hand, which had strong resistance to fire attacks.
“Well, the attempt was good. It was just that the opponent was bad.”
Helra casually glanced up at the sky.
Following the trail of the beam of light that had vanished beyond the jagged edges of the purple sky.
She never expected he would deceive her with a burst attack while using the serpent’s tail as a sacrificial pawn.
That attack, using flames that filled the space as a medium, had an onset speed close to instantaneous, uncommensurate with its power.
Helra hadn’t had enough time to respond, even from a distance.
But fortunately for Davidson… no, for Harley, there was still one means left at that moment.
Crack— Gulp!
As if replenishing the consumed calories, one of the three heads nervously devoured the meat, and three green glows slowly faded.
In the life-or-death moment directed at him, remnants of “Gem Eye: Suppression” x3 forced the serpent’s head to awkwardly redirect its angle upward.
If that had hit… Maybe it wouldn’t have killed him, but he would have certainly suffered significant power loss. Perhaps he’d even suffer an adverse effect.
He had come all this way to the Demon Realm for mercenary work and could not afford losses.
Fortunately, this ability was not one he used often, so it shouldn’t matter too much.
Whether there were any enemies able to observe what was occurring inside the “World of Soul Ascendance” was uncertain, but it was a possibility.
Damn, getting too comfortable because things seemed to be going smoothly. No matter how overwhelming the advantage in strength is, the opponent is a Duke-level demon that has ruled this hellish Demon Realm for a millennium.
No matter how much “Gem Eye: Suppression” has the property of becoming stronger the more energy one pours into it, there were limits to the output achievable by just one or two.
Since it was originally a secret weapon, the serpent’s resistance, which had absorbed hellfire, was certainly not trivial.
But now, he had three heads!
Thanks to the incorporation of the Cerberus factor, the existing head was copied, preserving its output. As all three “Gem Eyes” deployed with full power, they were able to redirect the serpent’s head’s beam before it could fire.
That shock destroyed the “World of Soul Ascendance” instantly, but at this point, that was of little concern.
Even if he had allowed such an extreme lethal attack, it would have already meant the end of the fight had it failed.
“Ooooohh…! Oooooh!”
“Helra has won! Long live Helra! Long live!”
“Uwaaah! Duke of Beasts!”
“No way! How? Who is that…?!”
And it was clear even to those who had been blankly observing the situation.
What they saw was extremely straightforward.
Sipar, who had lost two of his heads and a tail, and whose body was in tatters lying on the ground.
In contrast, Helra, with a clean body and no wounds, looked like a master as she held the leash of the obedient beast, Davidson.
And there was even a monstrous pet casually devouring Sipar’s body as if it were a piece of meat.
In the land ruled by survival of the fittest, such an overwhelming victory meant nothing at all.
Moreover, that creature was not even part of the Demon Tribe in the first place!
Taming and raising such a creature was a skill in itself, and to be at such a disadvantage, there was no room for excuses.
Kuh, is it really going to end in failure again? Once more…!
And Sipar, who was being humiliated in defeat, was keenly aware of the shift in public sentiment toward him.
The hearts of the populace were leaving him, turning toward the victor who held the leash like a master.
Just as it had been during the selections for the 14th and 15th Demon Kings.
[…Cough, I concede. I, Sipar, recognize you as king.]
In the end, he could do nothing but shut his eyes tightly and utter those words.
Originally, the faction of “Abnormal” was a force united only under the being known as the Duke of Beasts Sipar.
He would be of no help in resisting being defeated and dying until the end; only the remnants of his ruined faction would be left searching for a new ruler.
And that target would likely be the victor of this place, who carried the essence of the Demon King.
It would be better if I first bowed down. Just as I’ve done several times before. It’s alright. As long as I survive, there will always be opportunities…
But at that moment…
“Oh, I’m really sorry about this. Unfortunately, I have a prior engagement.”
[…What do you mean… Cough!]
The whip that wrapped around his neck tightened even more.
No, that wasn’t all.
The living whip wiggled as if alive, using its sharp thorns to begin slicing through his neck.
[Guh! W-why?! I am a Duke! If I have support, I can help confront the darkness and the dragons! Then I could get closer to being the ‘real Demon King’…]
“I’ve already promised to take care of all your Dukes. A verbal contract is still a contract, right? It hasn’t been long since we discussed that, so breaking it unilaterally now seems a bit…”
Helra flashed a wry smile while winking one eye.
She looked incredibly refreshing, wielding immense mana and “Devourer” while mercilessly slicing him alive, not resembling a killer at all.
“And you know—”
As true death approached, Sipar began to struggle fiercely.
But it was far too late.
Davidson, using his bulk to pin him down, still executed “Demon King” judgment and the intimidation of “Eye of Domination,” leaving him with no way to escape.
“—I am already the real Demon King.”
With a cold expression, she looked down upon him, wriggling like a worm.
I won’t need your help to take out the other two.
Just shut up and hand over your essence. That would be more helpful.
Such were the many implied meanings of her final pronouncement.
[Hah… Haha… As expected, you…]
Fwooooosh—! Boom!
A star that had ruled the pinnacle of the Demon Realm for a long time fell to the ground.
As if echoing the heavy significance of that event.
After hearing Helra’s final words, Sipar’s expression bore a complexity that one could hardly describe.
Soon after, she tossed his head to Davidson, who was proudly pressing down on him and proceeded to extract Sipar’s essence.
If the essence remained in the body, it could take a long time to regenerate, but if it’s drawn out, all potential for that would disappear.
Thus…
Fwoosh—
A multifaceted gem, burning like red flames within, found its way into her hand.
Essence on par with the Demon Stone of the Succubus Queen.
The wave emanating from that rare item in the Demon Realm spread out in all directions.
Swoosh— Thump— Thump!
Those surrounding her began to kneel one by one.
Starting with Helra’s followers, including the Dream Walkers, and even the minions of Abnormal, who were fighting mere moments ago.
As if in one grand ceremony— they offered worship and fear to the triumphing ruler.
《The influence of the new Demon King has expanded. The existence of the individual is becoming clearer.》
As they revered the newly descended Demon King in this land.
